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Show l , -l'"" - . - it I v f 4 i ; f , , ( . - t . 4 I i. - V . s 1 1 111 . ' 1 ' -' . i .''" 4 ! v - J i r'. Iv I ,IC IV" - 'f .; ' I X.;i ,i ' v x v V v - w ; ; . j ' - V " " . ' - i iML Takes State e J By DAVE WIGHAM t SALT LAKE CITY - Bountiful stepped out of character a little bit last week when the usually conser-lc conser-lc tive offense went to a couple of trick plays which it enabled the Braves to claim their first ever state football it 1 championship. I DURING THIS 14-0 whitewash of a strong West High i" ! &m the Braves came up with a halfback, who was ac-lt ac-lt Mly a fullback, pass and a double pass to completely confuse and fool the touted Panther defense. It Add to those ingredients an awesome defense that si worded their third straight shutout- in the state tour-It tour-It J3"1 and you have the making of a state championship ballclub tt ! B'')A('H PAUL Waite has been waiting and working j tard for this championship for eight years at the Boun-w Boun-w i school and much credit should go to him for the Kt ; Wellent play calling that he used in the second half, tt 'This is a great moment for the coaches, players and the entire community," the likeable coach kept saying following the win. Paul was first to point out that he could never have done it without the aid of his assistants. "Kim Peterson, Brad Hawkins and Larry Wall are as good assistants as you'll find in the area. And these kids get a great start in the sophomore program with Phil Olsen and Mike Hall." Indeed the players have been working hard for a long time, many of them played on the same little league club and have been teammates for seven years. As soon as the season was over last year people like Corey Hilton and Curtis Sampson were in the weightroom and telling everyone that they would be state champions this season. They turned out to be right. THIS STATE title didn't come easy though as the Braves faced an uphill battle against West. This was the same West club that had embarrassed the Braves 28-0 in league action. The same West team that had won ten PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 4 1 i "f'S? - --:T J! '-'V - - f . y Znmmmm """"' 1 .aiii " - ' . .. j'-'"' - ' " v k --- J"w f f & j WE ARE THE CHAMPS CONTINUED FROM FRONT ( games straight and were ranked number one in the state for 3A. But this was the Bountiful club that had won six straight games themselves. The same Bountiful club that had to beat Highland to get a playoff to even get into the state tournament. The same Bountiful club that had to down rival Woods Cross in that playoff. TO WIN the state crown is an achievement, but to record three shutouts en route might be a record. The names of Page Bennett, Kurt Thompson, Clark Mabey, F.rank Sessions, Curtis Sampson, Jon Robertson, Corey Hilton, Tim Murray, Rob Allred, Jim Perkins, Mike Haslam and Russell Jensen should go down in history. All these defensive stalwarts did was record shutouts over Judge, a highly regarded club, then the state's mosl potent offense in Logan and then to top it off they shut out the Panthers. Very few people beat West, no one shuts them out. Offensively the names of Mike Woodbury, Lane Christiansen, Chris-tiansen, Breen Arnst, Matt McMullin, Clark Mabey, Curtis Sampson, Scott Wright, Alan Meldrum, Jim Perkins, Kevin Kott, Mike Hollingsworth, Rob Cottle, Kevin Waters, Mike Haslam, Frank Sessions, Page Bennett and Corey Hilton will long be remembered for their strong running game. THE FIRST half of the state championship game was a standoff with neither team really taking command,? although the Braves did show a sign of Ihings to come whenCoach Waite put in the fullback pass. Bountiful has been running out of the fullhouse backfield, which consists con-sists of three running backs, and the Panthers were ready for it. What the Panthers weren't ready for, as were many Bountiful faithfuls, was for Cottle to pull up and throw a perfect strike to Woodbury. Cottle started out to the left then lofted the ball downfield where the big tight end was standing. Even some Bountiful people were surprised, Bountiful's football team struts onto the field at Rice Stadium prior to their state battle with West. This group of Braves capture the school's first state football title. the most noted comment being "I didn't know that Cottle was left handed and could throw the ball." Neither did the West team. AT THE half the score was deadlocked at 0-0 and the clubs went into the lockers to get their last halftime speech. Bountiful's must have been something because the Braves came out and took control of the game in the third period. When a drive. had apparently stalled on their own thirty-yard line and facing a third and nine situation Coach Waite dipped into his bag of tricks and sent in the double pass. Perkins and Haslam lined up to the right of quarterback Kevin Kott. Kott took the snap and riffled a pass to Perkins, who had stepped back a couple of steps. PERKINS THEN acted as if he were going to run the ball, but then when the defenders ran up to get him he lofted the ball to Haslam. Before the Panthers could recover the Braves had the ball on the Panther 16 yard line. Bountiful then ran three plays and soon found themselves them-selves inside the West ten yard line with a first down. Again Waite called the ideal play, probably one of the best calls of the year by any coach. From the fullhouse backfield Kott faked left to Cottle who had Hilton leading on the play and then handed the ball to Waters cutting back to the right side of the line. Cottle will admit that he got stuffed bui also he'll admit that no one even looked at Waters as he sprinted into the West end zone for the first score. THIS WAS great justice as Waters has seen limited action all season with a shoulder injury. No one had worked harder or longer for this season than Kevin Waters and to see him score in the state championship game was to see justice in action. The insurance touchdown came in the final period when the Braves drove 80 yards capped off by a great loss from Kott to Woodbury. Kott suffered through a bad passing ; first half but made up for it in the second hall. " di i tight in the first half, boy was I tight, but then 1 senleJ down and just threw the ball the way Coach Wane has taught me. The receivers were open. It was just a maner of me getting them the football." With a third down on the Panther 28 yard line Kott faded back to pass, he got great protection from up front and then threw the pass over the heads of two defenders and into the waiting arms of Woodbury who went in for the score. PERKINS ALSO added the two extra points, something he has done extremely well all year long. Fourteen points is all the Brave defenders needed as they stopped the Panthers time after time. When West realized that they were going nowhere on the ground they resorted to their air attack. For the day the Braves picked off three passes, Perkins, Haslam and Sampson each getting one. :s THE KEY interception came when Sampson picked oil a pass in the end zone to kill a scoring drive that could I have swung momentum and the game into the hands of the Panthers. All afternoon this defensive unit came up ( with the big plays when they needed them. The biggest job they did was to contain Reggie Wilson of the Panthers who had been a thorn in their sides in the first loss. Once the lead was established the Braves had to maintain control of the ball and pick up some first downs' i and Rob Cottle was at his best. Several times this big bruising fullback bounced off would-be tacklers and m picked up extra yardage. SO NOW the dust has settled and Bountiful has their u first-ever state football title. It took Paul Waite and stall some eight years to get that first one, but judging from 10 their reaction on the sideline after the win those years ol waiting were worth every bit of it. 3J ::i |